The Legend of the Holy Oak and the Holy Axe

The most enigmatic period of Prussian history is the Pre-Teutonic, because little data from that time was preserved for the future. It leaves contemporary historians certain freedom to speculate on the Old Prussians’ lifestyle and beliefs. However, some sources do exist and they are used, even though their veracity is rather doubtful. Anyway, these texts are rather figurative and can be read like poetry.

One of them deals with the origin and Christianization of Prussia. The story dates back to the 516, when two mysterious strangers, possibly from the island of Gotland, appeared in Prussia. Their names were Pruten and Weidewut. The elder, Pruten, became a religious leader of the tribes, inhabiting the Ulmigania (Prussia) and those people named themselves Prutens after him. Later this name transformed into Prussians. The belief they shared was paganism with the three major deities in the centre of this religion. These gods are common for all Baltic people and they symbolize thunder (Perkunas), death (Piccolus) and harvest (Potrimpo). All of the three are depicted in the so called “Flag of Weidewut”, even though the latter can just as well be a 16th century fake. But as long there is no other evidence, the image is in use.

Pruten’s brother, Weidewur (or King Weidewut) became a military leader. He made his best to protect the Prussian tribes from the invasions of the Mazurs tribes by building a chain of fortresses along the border. He also taught the Prussian how to fight more effectively and with more elaborate tactics. But he left the most distinctive mark by the so called “King’s Weidewut 16 Commandments”. These rules are based on the pagan religion and are rather merciless for the perception of a contemporary person. Almost all crimes listed in them imply capital punishment.

Both of the brothers are famous for their self-sacrificial for the sake of the Prussian people to the holy fire. This was made in order to resist the severe attack of Mazurs, when Prussian forces were badly diminished and weakened. This sacrifice said to help the Prussians to take over Mazurs. But that was not all: on the spot of the sacrificial fire a sprout of an oak appeared which by and by grew into a magnificent tree, which stayed ever-green and was said to heal people’s diseases. So the tree received the status of the Holy Oak and became the shrine for Prussian gods. That’s why when the Teutonic Order came with the Christianization in Prussia, their first mission was to cut the Holy Oak down as a symbol of the paganism. But according to the legend, it was not easy to cut that tree – the knights’ axes did not cut into into its wood. But when the bishop Anselm himself took the axe and began to cut, the tree gave up and it was fallen down. On the spot where the Oak had stood the Teutonic knights built a settlement called Heiligenbeil (a holy axe) - nowadays Mamonovo. The two crossed axes still exist on its coat-of-arms to commemorate the dramatic events of old days.